“The Path Towards A Political Solution Is Now Open”


Minister Devanada requests help from the visiting Indian Delegation
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The Minister speaking further said that his party the EPDP had been demanding from the former Presidents; Ranasinghe Premadasa, Chandrika Kumaratunge and the Premier Ranil Wickramasinghe and the present President Mahinda Rajapakse, the four leaders, for the last 18 years for implementation of the Indo-Lanka Accord, but it was only the President Mahinda Rajapakse who accepted their just demands and took steps for its implementation.
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(June 26, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Douglas Devananda, Secretary General of the EPDP and Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare and also Chairman of Special Task Committee for the Northern Province urged support from the visiting Indian delegation who paid a friendly visit to this country recently for treading the path now open for a political solution to the ethnic crisis.

The Minister stated,
“We have begun from where it needs to begin with”.
“To what direction, the political solution to the ethnic crisis of Sri Lanka to be led to”?
“For achieving this target we need the Indian support”.

The Minister personally meeting the Indian delegation comprising of M. K. Narayanan, Indian Defence Secretary, Shiva Shankar Menon, Secretary Foreign Affairs, Moorthy, Chief Indian Officer In-charge of Sri Lankan Affairs and Alok Prasad, Indian High Commissioner, stated that the issue of the political rights of the Tamil Speaking People continued to drag on unsettled because the Tamil political leaders did not make use of the opportunities that came into being for solving the problem due to their petty political mileage and hunger for power. He also said that the political competition between the Ruling Party and the opposition which came into power in turn, too contributed towards the protraction of this problem.

The Minister therefore, made it a point to explain to the visiting delegation the necessity to begin with the Indo-Lanka Accord which would prove to be practically successful for arriving at a solution as it had been acceptable to the Ruling Party as well as to the Opposition including the other stakeholders.

The Minister speaking further said that his party the EPDP had been demanding from the former Presidents; Ranasinghe Premadasa, Chandrika Kumaratunge and the Premier Ranil Wickramasinghe and the present President Mahinda Rajapakse, the four leaders, for the last 18 years for implementation of the Indo-Lanka Accord, but it was only the President Mahinda Rajapakse who accepted their just demands and took steps for its implementation.

Minister made it a point to thank on behalf of Tamil Speaking People, not only the President Mahinda Rajapakse but also our immediate neighbour India for the trying efforts taken for implementation of the Indo-Lanka Accord.

Minister Devanda speaking further stated that a Provincial Council needed to be setup in the North as well, comprising of representatives selected by the people as has been done in the East, through people participation after having prepared the ground work necessary for establishment of a Provincial Council by the Special Task Committee now functioning towards this end, and for this purpose the Minister urged the support of the Indian Government.

The Minister added that having realized well the present situation and the immense sufferings of the people, the EPDP had accepted the present system that is being implemented. However, whatever the shortcomings in the system would be attended to, in future for its smooth functioning, the Minister further added.

The Minister explained many facts to the visiting delegation concerning the path, now open for moving ahead towards realization of political rights of the Tamil Speaking People. The delegation listened intently to the explanation by the Minister with a positive response.
- Sri Lanka Guardian